One of the most useful contributions Buddhism can offer social action is the quality of equanimity. Yet indifference can masquerade as equanimity, providing a kind of “spiritual bypass” that whisks us away from the difficult encounter. How can we know true equanimity wherein we retain our connection to ourselves and the world?

We face challenges of an unprecedented scale. To meet them we need a training that roots our engagement more deeply than we’ve known before. In this article, Guhyapati from the EcoDharma Centre clarifies how we can respond with energy and patience to what the mind frames as “do or die” situations.